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The
Emergency Plan can never be tested until there an emergency occurs. The incident
range can extend from a minor or simple impairment to a major catastrophe where
fatality numbers are huge. The best remedy to test the plan is to orchestrate
all those entities that will be involved and have a detailed walk-through, a
tabletop exercise testing the Airport Emergency and Air Show Plan.
A list of
attendees is listed below:
Airport
Manager
Air Traffic Control Chief
Airport Fire & Rescue Commander
Local Police Authority
State Police Authority
County Sheriff Authority
Hospital Network Authority
Ambulance Representative
Life Flight Helicopter Representative
Air Show Director
Air Operations Coordinator
Ground Operations Coordinator
Air Show Security Coordinator
Disaster Relief Agencies
The
Emergency Plan is written to designate who is in charge during a particular
emergency, reducing the reaction time to respond to an emergency, assuring the
proper emergency equipment responds and identifies, examines and reduces the
potential emergency areas. In order to do this effectively the Emergency Plan
must be written and a walk-through exercise conducted.
The
Emergency Plan will accompany the pre-existing Airport Emergency Plan.
WHO'S
IN CHARGE?
The Aircraft
Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Chief will determine action to be taken dictated
by the nature of the incident and the airport accident plan policy. The airport
manager will direct and coordinate the overall incident response to include
mutual assistance support from off the airport
For major
accident response the ARFF Chief will assume the In-Charge role and all
activities will cease, the airport will belong to the fire chief. Once this
organization has been established the airport accident plan will be executed.
The airshow
operations have ceased, the control of the airport has be turned over to the
airport manager and the local tower facility is in operation. The airport
accident plan is executed and the air show emergency plan is in effect. The ARFF
is busy controlling the accident site and it is now the air show responsibility
to control the massive crowd situation. Once the area of the accident has been
secured the air show will have to contend with the massive number of spectators
who will leave the air show site and deal with the family member(s) who might be
involved with the accident and the media.
THE
AIR SHOW EMERGENCY PLAN
PURPOSE
The purpose
of the emergency plan is to provide direction to those having responsibilities
in order to assist them in the intellectual execution of an air show emergency.
This plan can only provide the basis for action in case of an emergency and the
succeeding action depends on the character of the emergency and they are issued
after consultation with all the appropriate authorities.
Members of
the airshow staff are not to make statements to the press or the general public
about an emergency situation. Statements will only be made by the
_______________ (i.e..... Airport Manager, Airport Relations Director)
EVENT
DESCRIPTION
Describe the
Event: The XYZ Air Show will be conducted at the county airport on Saturday and
Sunday, July 30 & 31, 1996. A crowd of approximately 15,000 is expected on
Saturday July 30 and a crowd of approximately 30,000 is expected on
CRITICAL
TIMES
The critical
times of the air show will begin with the Press show on Friday and including the
standard performances on Saturday and Sunday. Specific times will be listed on
the FAA Form 7711-2.
The air show
will expect arrivals on
The airport
will be closed to aircraft traffic between:
EMERGENCY
CHAIN OF COMMAND
Air Show
Director
Air Show Ground and Air Operations Director
Air Operations Coordinator
Ground Operations Coordinator
Security Coordinator
ROLES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Air Show
Director is in overall charge of the air show and spectators. The Air Show
Director will assist the airport manager in maintaining control of the accident
site.
Air Show
Ground and Air Operations Director will coordinate with the air operations
coordinator and ground operations coordinator and security coordinator and
assist the air show director.
Air
Operations Coordinator will cease air operations and return the control of air
operations to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Facility.
Ground
Operations Coordinator will coordinate and assist the air show ground and
operations director.
Security
Coordinator will maintain security of the air show and secure the accident site.
During a
spectator or an aircraft accident crowd control will be the responsibility of
the Security Chief. Spectators must be kept away from the area of incident.
EMERGENCY
SERVICES
List Emergency Medical
Assets
Listed below
are the organizations providing Emergency Medical Service Support:
1.
Services
on Airport
a. Airport Fire and Rescue
2.
Services
off Airport
a. City Fire Departments
3.
Medical
Services
a. Local Ambulance Services
4.
Security
Services
a. Local Sheriff
b. Local Police
c. State Patrol
d. Professional Security Staff
e. Volunteer Security Staff
Planning,
communication and readiness are essential to an effective Safety and Emergency
Program at the air show. The air show operations staff must discipline itself to
meet the critical challenge in implementing safety and decreasing ground and air
accidents which may occur. The objective is to maintain the highest level of
public and air crew safety. The most important element of the safety procedures
and emergency policy is to communicate them clearly to the air show staff, the
Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Chief, airport manager, tower control
chief and ground emergency units. No emergency plan is complete without
reviewing the Airport Disaster and Community Emergency Plan.
Reaction to
an aircraft accident during an air show should be identical to that which would
take place at the airport at any other time. Simply, at the moment of the
incident, on scene authority reverts from air show control to the responsible
Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) chief. The rationale is that on scene
response should be addressed by qualified personnel with proper equipment.
MILITARY
EMERGENCY
If the
accident involves a military aircraft, the Senior Military Officer on the
airport will be in charge of the on-scene control and reclamation, if he/she is
so authorized by the Federal Government.
The ARFF
Chief will be required to know oil and fuel types which will be used and how to
access the variety of aircraft you will have at the air show.
EMERGENCY
Access
routes to display aircraft and participant aircraft will be defined. A route to
and from the air show will be designated as the emergency entrance. A
determination will be made as to the method of evacuation either by helicopter
or by land.
A specific
route will be designated for emergency vehicles for egress and ingress to the
airport. This route will be extended from the flight line to a distance that
clears the air show spectator congestion. This route is a dedicated route for
emergency use only and will be free of traffic at all times.
COMMUNICATIONS
Communications
to outside sources will be critical for multiple casualty situations by the
Emergency Medical Services Chief (EMS) and Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF)
Chief .
Good
communications are essential to the air show. A communications link must be
established between the Air Operations Manager, Air Show Announcer, Air Traffic
Control (Tower), Remote Air Traffic Control (Approach Control), Emergency
Medical Services and the Director of Air Show Operations and his staff.
The
objective is to organize the communications net as to isolate critical functions
on a dedicated frequency.
Arrangements
must be made with the local ATC facility to use a frequency that is not
otherwise used in the area. This frequency will be used for the arriving
aircraft and to control the air show. This frequency should not be the tower or
ground control frequency at the airport.
Frequencies
must be approved with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sixty (60)
days prior to the air show.
For a
military "fly-by" a UHF
radio will be required at the show control point Air Operations Manager/Air
Boss.
Communications
Net
Air Show Directors Net
Air Show
Operations
Coordinators
Ramp Coordination
Announcer
Air Operations Manager/Air Boss
Security
Law Enforcement
Crowd Control
Parking/Traffic
Airport Fire and Rescue-Emergency Response
Chief's Net
Medical Station(s)
Emergency Frequencies
Show Control Frequency
Ground Control Frequency
Emergency Alternate VHF/UHF Radio Frequency
Emergency Alternate Airport
Military Approach Frequency
Tower Frequency
Civilian Approach Frequency
Tower Frequency
AIR
SHOW COMMUNICATIONS NET (EXAMPLE)
The Air Show
Communications net is designed to be a contingency plan for three (3) types of
emergency situations:
Ground Emergency involving spectators Air Emergency involving the pilot and crew Air/Ground Emergency involving pilot/crew and spectators
The Air Show
Director is in communication with the airport manager and the officials in
charge of the area where the air show is being presented. Each of those entities
have communications with their appropriate emergency agencies.
The Air
& Ground Operations Director is in communications with the Air Operations
Coordinator, Ground Operations Coordinator and the
The Ground
Operations coordinator informs the emergency center of a spectator incident
involving accidents with spectators or spectators and vehicles.
AIR
SHOW EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS NET (EXAMPLE)
The Air Show
Communications Net, after a major incident occurs, transforms into the Air Show
Emergency Communications Net. This occurs primarily because the air show command
has been shifted to the Airport Manager and he is in control and in direct
communications with the airport rescue.
The airport
manager is also in communications with the city/country representatives to
coordinate off airport site emergency information. The incident could involve an
aircraft accident off airport site and require a city/county agency to react to
the accident.
The airport
manager is also in communications with the local tower authority, because the
airport operations have ceased and the tower is coordinating any Life Flight
helicopter operations. In all accidents involving the spectators or an aircraft
the Security Coordinator will be required to secure the area.
MEDIA
In the event
of an airport crash or other major event, no one is to discuss the incident with
the news media. This is the responsibility of the airport representatives and
the Director of Air Show. A briefing room will be established. Keep the media
informed of the briefing room location and times of the briefing.
In a
controlled situation, where casualties have been removed, the site is secured
and a crane is preparing the wreckage to be moved, this may be the opportunity
for the media to visit the accident site. Again, the Airport Fire and Rescue is
in change of the accident site, the airport manager is in charge of the airport
and the air show has drawn this media attention. It's not your obligation to
mention it, your responsibilities may include providing the transportation to
and from the accident site.
As the air
show representative, you will probable be too busy trying to locate all the
information about the pilot/crew, type of aircraft and pertinent information
about the aircraft, that you have obtained since you met this aircraft/crew on
Friday. Also locate any liability waivers the pilot signed at the conclusion of
the air show flight briefing.
IDENTIFY
POTENTIAL ACCIDENT AREAS
To assist in
eliminating possible incidents the emergency plan can identify potential
emergencies. List the areas that are suspect to danger and the different kinds
of incidents that may occur in that area.
A vehicle
accident can occur at any entry point, within the parking area and along the
roadside. This type of incident may involve another automobile or pedestrian(s).
Within the
crowd there are several incidents which may occur. Individual medical problems,
heat related incidents and dehydration, strokes and heart attacks, the crowd
congestion becomes a problem.
Aircraft
pose another incident problem. Mixing the aircraft with a crowd that is not
familiar with aircraft also pose problems. Be cautious regarding aircraft and
crowd incidents. Check the aircraft and the spectator area. Equipment protruding
for the aircraft my cause an incident.
Fire: In the
event of a fire in the display area, spectator area, parking lot or any other
area, the ARFF Chief is to be notified and he will take charge of the fire
scene. Fires could occur in the static display area, service ramp area and
performance aircraft staging area.
Hazardous
Materials: In the event of a fuel or oil spill the ARFF Chief is to be notified
and he will take charge of the clean-up.
Aircraft
Accidents: In the event of an airport crash, control of the airport will be
released to the ARFF Chief and all activities will cease. Several types of
accident that might occur are:
Multi-Aircraft
Accidents: on-runway, on taxi-ways, in crowd, off site
End of Show:
At the conclusion of the air show try to identify areas that were vulnerable as
the crowd was coming into the air show. The spectators will be rushed to get to
their cars and travel home.
In the event
that someone is in need of Emergency First Aid, the person should be taken to
one of the First Aid Tents. If this is not feasible, an Emergency Medical Squad
should be contacted. If there is a suspected fracture, back or neck injury, do
not attempt to move the victim. Wait for the Emergency Medical Squad.
Cancellation
of Emergency
When the
alert is terminated, and the Federal Aviation Administration authority has given
permission to move the aircraft, the Airport Fire and Rescue Chief will
designate the necessary fire fighting equipment to stand by until the aircraft
has been removed.